The Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab
match today at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was always going to be a low-key
affair given that both teams have little to no chance of qualifying for
the playoffs. However, the match did not fail to throw up some
memorable moments.
After winning the toss and opting to field, RCB
started brightly, picking the big wicket of Hashim Amla in the very
first over of the game. In quite bizarre circumstances, Amla walked off
immediately after trying to play a cut to a ball pitched outside off
from Aniket Choudhary, despite no one sensing the faint nick or going
for an appeal.
However, the most ‘bizarre’ moment of the evening was to follow soon after.

Comedy of errors: Saha done in by Chahal’s drift, Jadhav makes a mess of an easy opportunity

In the 10th
over of the innings, Chahal delivered one that drifted in and turned
away substantially after pitching. Being foxed by the drift, Saha
stepped down the track to turn it over to the leg-side, only to
play around the ball and be left stranded way outside the crease as the
ball spun past the outside edge.
However, the ball went on to
evade not just the bat but also the keeper’s grasp. RCB’s makeshift
wicketkeeper Kedar Jadhav put himself in an embarrassing position when
he first failed to collect the ball cleanly and then fumbled while
trying to deflect the ball towards the stumps.
Watch Jadhav's blunder here.

How the game moved on

At
this stage of the match, Kings XI were in real trouble, having lost
their three key overseas batsmen – Amla, Guptill and Marsh – with not
many runs on the board. RCB had started impressively by keeping the run
rate down to less than six runs per over and bagging three wickets for
53 at the end of nine overs, when Saha arrived at the crease.
Losing
him at that point would have seen Punjab crumbling rapidly. However,
Saha made full use of his reprieve and formed a crucial 34-run
partnership for the sixth wicket with Axar Patel, who played a cameo of
38*(17) that lifted Punjab to a more respectable score of 138.
The innings of 21(25) from Saha was not spectacular by any means but it steadied the ship for Punjab after a top order collapse.

Bottom Line

This
was further proof of why Jadhav lags behind many of his colleagues when
it comes to being a potential candidate for the role of India’s keeper.
Funnily enough, it was Saha, widely viewed as one of the most technically sound wicketkeepers in the country, who was the beneficiary.While
Jadhav has done a stellar job for India in recent series, even turning
his arm over effectively, his glove-work has been shoddy in the IPL and
leaves a lot to be desired. Though not viewed as a specialist
wicketkeeper in international cricket, RCB have utilised his services in
order to lend greater depth to their team. Although
he has done well enough to merit a place in the Indian team as a
batting all-rounder, he will need to improve his glovework if he wishes
to take up the coveted role whenever it is up for grabs